Guidance for Instructors: Tips for Success!
- Prepare adequately for your presentation. Read and study the speaker notes provided with each of the slides.The notes are “rather extensive”; you will not need or want to cover all the details. But they are there to provide you the necessary background and give you an idea of what might be covered on any particular slide.You, as the instructor (and an expert in foodborne disease outbreak investigation), will need to decide exactly what details you provide to students.
- Identify the key points you want to get across on each slide. After reviewing all of the slides for a module, read the learning objectives. Keep the learning objectives in mind as you map out what you will say with each slide.Come up with examples from your own experiences (or studies) that illustrate key points covered. But realize: time is precious. You won’t be able to tell too many stories. Focus on stories that reinforce important concepts or get you the big laughs!
- Figure out the timing. The course covers many different concepts and is packed with a lot of information. Check how much time is allotted for the module. As you review the slides estimate how much time you want or think you need to spend on each slide. Then outline what pace to follow; for example, identify what slide number you should be on one-quarter, one-half, or three-quarters of the way through the allotted time.Go through the slides several times; you must be familiar with them (and their order) for a smooth progression from one slide to the next.
- Encourage student participation. Students will learn best and enjoy the training most if they are able to participate and contribute to the training. Class questions and group exercises have been incorporated into the lectures to encourage students to think about the concepts,apply them, and share their thoughts. Class questions are short-answer questions scattered throughout the modules. They are proposed to the entire class; anyone can answer. Class questions tend to have “right” answers. Group exercises/discussions are slightly longer exercises that require students to read/review some material, have a discussion with others, and report back to the larger group. Group exercises do not usually have “right” answers.
- Do not be deterred if students do not volunteer answers automatically. Give them time and do not be afraid for a period of silence before someone feels they must speak up. Sometimes students must be coaxed into answering by rephrasing the question or giving them a partial answer.Asking individuals who are more experienced to answer the question (or share their thoughts about the answer) will get students talking.Another approach is to assign questions to different tables and call on them in turn.
- Feel free to pose your own questions to the class. But let the students answer them. Slides with dotpoint lists are excellent opportunities to ask student for ideas or answers. (Some of the slides in the modules have been set up so that the dotpoint list does not appear automatically; the slide must be advanced to see the list. These slides, and other slides that are built are marked with the symbol .)With lists, do not expect any one individual to provide the whole list but call on different individuals (or tables) to provide “just one” of the answers. Do not expect all items on the list to be named; after sufficient time has been spent on the question, provide the remaining answers to the class.
- Support efforts by students to share. When students provide answers to questions or share their thoughts, listen attentively. Use eye contact effectively. Don’t be condescending. Don’t say anything that could be construed as a put-down or as an indication that a student is not respected. If possible, do not directly correct or contradict what a student says. Instead, ask other students what they got for an answer or ask the student to review how he/she came up with that answer in order to identify the source of the error.
- Be receptive to questions. Questions allow you to clarify the material and make sure students are absorbing the information. (They are also a good way to identify concepts you could have explained better the first time around.) Appreciate that some students will monopolize class time or ask questions that are not meaningful to the majority of the class. Use your own judgment to decide on the appropriateness of student questions. If necessary, the questions can go on a parking lot list for discussion at a later time or be answered by you individually with the student during a break.
- Share your enthusiasm for foodborne disease outbreak investigation.You must admit it, your work is interesting and there are many stories to tell! Help the material come alive by recounting an investigation that illustrates the point or points being covered in your lecture and what it is like to work with a good team.Emphasize to students the value of improved foodborne disease detection, investigation, and control and the importance of your (and their) work!
Guidance to Instructors – p. 1